Oxfordshire's batsmen ground out a draw with Herefordshire on the final afternoon of their Minor Counties Championship game at Colwall.

Set 271 to win from a minimum of 54 overs, Oxfordshire were left hanging on at 127-6.

But after a nightmare start to the season in which they had lost all three competitive games, Tuesday's draw represented something of a triumph.

And the result was especially creditable against a powerful Herefordshire side that featured former England fast bowler Martin McCague, plus a host of professionals from the Birmingham League.

Resuming their first innings on 196-5, Oxon batted out their allocation of 100 overs to reach 248-6, Ian Crosby making an unbeaten 27.

The hosts then had a quick thrash for 30 overs to rattle up 192-5, McCague hitting 49 from just 29 balls.

Oxon got off to a poor start, losing first-innings hero James Cook for a duck, and when they were reduced to 102-6, things were looking bleak.

However, Ian Evans batted for 108 balls for his 26 not out, while Richard Lynch hung about for 42 deliveries for his unbeaten 15, as the visitors secured the draw.

HEREFORDSHIRE

First Innings: 326-8 dec (C Boroughs 134, M McCague 52).

Second Innings

H Patel b Launder...21

R Hughes b Launder...58

R Nagra c Eason b Peddy...37

I Dawood c Launder b Peddy...9

M McCague c Launder b A Cook...49

C Boroughs not out...8

M Rawnsley not out...6

Extras...4

Total (5 wkts, 30 ov)...192

Fall: 1-56, 2-102, 3-114, 4-172, 5-178.

Bowling: Launder 15-1-77-2, Stanway 4-0-25-0, Peddy 8-0-58-2, A Cook 3-0-29-1.

OXFORDSHIRE

First Innings

(Overnight 196-5, R Eason 90, J Cook 65)

G Peddy c Powell b McCague...15

I Crosby not out...27

R Lynch not out...21

Extras...14

Total (6 wkts, 100 ov)...248

Fall: 6-222.

Bowling: McCague 34-9-90-4, Roberts 14-5-24-1, Rawnsley 28-11-56-0, Thomas 5-0-22-0, Boroughs 12-4-24-0, Powell 7-0-24-0.

Second Innings

I Hawtin lbw Roberts...22

J Cook c Dawood b Roberts...0

R Eason c Nagra b McCague...21

G Peddy c Boroughs b McCague...8

A Cook c Dawood b Thomas...16

I Evans not out...26

I Crosby b Boroughs...2

R Lynch not out...15

Extras...17

Total (6 wkts, 51 ov)...127

Fall: 1-5, 2-32, 3-43, 4-72, 5-72, 6-102.

Bowling: McCague 12-3-29-2, Roberts 11-3-46-2, Thomas 5-2-15-1, Powell 8-4-7-0, Boroughs 6-3-9-1, Rawnsley 9-5-11-0.

Oxfordshire 8pts, Hereford 10